Table and leg supports therefor



May 28, 1968 R. L. FOSSIER ETAL TABLE AND LEG SUPPORTS THEREFOR Filed Dec. 8, 1965 IN VENTORS.

o RALPH FOSSIER JOHN W KRUISSINK United States Patent 3,385,239 TABLE AND LEG SUPPORTS THEREFOR Ralph L. Fossier, La Grange Park, and John W. Kruissink, Des Plaines, 11]., assignors to Dentin Manufacturing Company, Melrose Park, 11]., a corporation of Illinois Filed Dec. 8, 1965, Ser. No. 512,355 2 Claims. (Cl. 108156) This invention relates to a table and leg supports therefor, and more particularly to a table for which leg supports are provided permitting ready assembly and disassembly of the leg supports with and from the table top.

It is customary to provide plates equipped with legs for attachment to the bottom portion of table tops, the plates being provided with screw openings so that the plates may be secured to the table top. Such assembly may be made at the plant of the manufacturer, but because the completed table takes up much space, it is common practice to ship the table top and the leg supports in disassembled relation so as to provide a more compact structure for shipment. Upon arrival of the parts at the point of destination, considerable time and work is involved in setting up the tables, since a number of screws must be used in securing the leg-supporting structure to the table. Where a large number of tables are delivered, the work of assembly becomes onerous and expensive. Further, where the tables are used in large numbers by institutions and it is desired to store the tables through seasons when they are not in use, disassembly of the tables for the purpose of storing becomes a tedious and time-consuming operation.-

A primary object of the present invention, therefore, is to provide a structure in which the major part of the assembly operation is accomplished at the factory and the completion of the assembly at the point of destination is accomplished with a minimum of time and effort. A further object is to provide a table top with means for releasably anchoring thereon a leg-supporting plate whereby a sturdy and quick assembly of the table top can be brought about with the leg-supporting plate. Yet another object is to provide a novel combination of parts and supporting leg plates upon a table in a sturdy, gripping relation, the structure permitting quick release of the plates and quick assembly of the plates with the table top. Other specific objects and advantages will appear as the specification proceeds.

The invention is shown, in an illustrative embodiment, by the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a broken perspective view of a corner port-ion of a table top equipped with leg-supporting plate members embodying our invention; FIG. 2, a broken perspective view of the plate structure on an enlarged scale; FIG. 3, a perspective view of the anchor or latch plate secured to the table and the removable leg-supporting plate, the two plates being shown in spaced-apart relation; FIG. 4, a broken section detail view, the section being taken as indicated at line 44 of FIG. 2, the legsupporting plate being shown also in dotted lines preparatory to being brought into sliding engagement with the latch plate or anchor plate; and FIG. 5, a sectional detail view, the section being taken as indicated at line 5-5 of FIG. 1.

In the illustration given, the table has a corner portion thereof equipped with a latch or anchor plate 11, as shown best in FIG. 3. The plate 11 is of general triangular shape and is provided at its corners with countersunk openings for receiving attachment screws 12. The plate is a flat plate lying against a corner portion of the table and has an open rear side 13 and on its forward sides inwardly and downwardly-turned spring flanges 14 and 15. As shown best in FIG. 4, the flanges provide a ICC Wedging or gripping action against the edges of the legsupporting plate 16 when the plates are assembled in the position shown in FIGS. 1, 4 and 5.

The slide plate 16 carries a table-supporting leg 17 which may be inserted through a opening in plate 16 and secured thereto by welding 18. Also, if desired, the leg 17 may be further supported by brace rods 19 and 20 which are welded at their upper ends to the plate 16 and at their lower ends are preferably joined and secured by welding to the leg 17. Any suitable leg structure may be employed. We prefer, however, the braced leg structure shown, in which the brace rods are united to the plate 16 and preferably in alignment with the rear ends of the flanges 14 and 15.

With the structure shown, the leg-supporting slide plate 16 may be assembled with the latch plate 11 by pressing or driving the plate 16 into the wedged position illustrated in FIG. 4. The friction of the spring plates 14 and 15 with the edges of plate 16 provides a sturdy union between the plates. If desired, an additional means of attachment may be accomplished by providing plate 11 with a tapped opening for receiving an attachment screw 21, as shown best in FIG. 4, and the slide plate 16 may be provided with an opening 22 aligned with the tapped opening of plate 11 so that the screw 21 may be passed through the opening 22 and screwed into the tapped opening of plate 11.

With the parts assembled as shown best in FIGS. 1 and 2, the slide plate 16 covers and conceals the screws 12 of plate 11 and the forward end 23 of plate 16 extends through the space between the flanges 14 and 15, as shown best in FIG. 5. For anchoring the plates rigidly together, the single screw 21 may be passed through opening 22 of plate 16 and tightened within the aligned tapped Opening in plate 11.

When it is desired to disassemble the table structure, the screw 21 at each corner of the table may be removed and the protruding portion 23 of the plate 16 which is exposed at the forward end of the table may be tapped to release the parts. The table panel 10 and the leg-supporting plate 1 6 may be then separately stored so as to occupy a minimum of space. The inwardly-turned flanges 14 and '15 not only serve as gripping members for engaging the edges of slide plate 16 but also provide a protective curved surface about the plates 11 and 16. They provide not only a rigid anchor for the table leg 17, but also a rigid support for the brace rods 19 and 20 aligned with the rear edges of the flanges 14 and 15.

While the latch plate 11, in the illustration given, has a generally triangular shape, it is understood that it may have an inverted V-shape, a crescent shape, and other various shapes as long as there are provided angular wedging flanges for engaging the edges of the slide plate 16.

While, in the foregoing specification, We have set forth a specific structure in considerable detail for the purpose of illustrating an embodiment of our invention, it will be understood that such detail or details may be varied widely by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of our invention.

We claim:

1. In combination with a table top, a latch plate secured to the underside of the table at a corner portion thereof, said plate being generally V-shaped having an open inner side and downwardlyand inwardly-inclined and forwardly-extending spring flanges carried by the other two sides, said flanges being spaced apart at their forward ends at the point of the latch plate, and a legequipped slide plate releasably engaging said latch plate in edge-gripping relation with said flanges and having a 3 4 forward portion protruding through the space between References Cited the forward ends of said flanges and forwardly of said UNITED STATES PATENTS flanges.

2. The structure of claim 1 in which said latch plate 1,800,132 4/1931 Brubak 248- 138 is tapped at the open side thereof to receive a screw and 5 2,015,292 9/1935 Schweller 248 188 said slide plate is equipped with an opening aligned with 2,744,804 5/1956 R i 248 138 3 said tapped opening of the latch plate when the slide 3,005,612 10/ 1961 Drezner 248-188 plate is pressed forwardly into gripping engagement with said flanges. CHANCELLOR E, HARRIS, Primary Examiner. 

1. IN COMBINATION WITH A TABLE TOP, A LATCH PLATE SECURED TO THE UNDERSIDE OF THE TABLE AT A CORNER PORTION THEREOF, SAID PLATE BEING GENERALLY V-SHAPED HAVING AN OPEN INNER SIDE AND DOWNWARDLY- AND INWARDLY-INCLINED AND FORWARDLY-EXTENDING SPRING FLANGES CARRIED BY THE OTHER TWO SIDES, SAID FLANGES BEING SPACED APART AT THEIR FORWARD ENDS AT THE POINT OF THE LATCH PLATE, AND A LEGEQUIPPED SLIDE PLATE RELEASABLY ENGAGING SAID LATCH PLATE IN EDGE-GRIPPING RELATION WITH SAID FLANGES AND HAVING A FORWARD PORTION PROTRUDING THROUGH THE SPACE BETWEEN THE FORWARD ENDS OF SAID FLANGES AND FORWARDLY OF SAID FLANGES. 